Falling Together
by Moyde
Summary: Naruto is a young man striving to become a detective in order to track down his father's killer. Not all goes as planned, however, when he becomes a target himself. Mafia AU, SasuNaru
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters. They belong to Kishimoto.**

 **So this is a modern mafia/police/detective AU with a dash of florist/tattoo artist AU. It's SasuNaruSasu as well as SakuHina, but there'll be a hint of NaruSaku and SasuSaku in the beginning; there's SakuIno/InoSaku at first too, if you squint. Established bisexual!Sakura. A transgender character (Fuu) will be featured. Also be prepared for angst and drama.**

 **Warnings: character death, kinda-spoilers, violence, drug and alcohol use, and adult scenes in the future. Oh, and gay couples, but if that bothers you, you probably shouldn't be on ff dot net.  
**

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Chapter One

"... and he gave off this incredible aura. He felt almost dangerous, but in a good way. Sharp and cold, you know? Oh, and he was _so_ good-looking. I bet he's broken plenty of hearts with that face."

Naruto tried hard to listen to his pink-haired friend's rambling - he really did - but felt himself zone out regardless. She was in love with yet _another_ mysterious stranger that she had apparently spotted in an old-fashioned cafe near the town square. These crushes rarely lasted over a few weeks, and after seven he couldn't bring himself to care anymore. He would only get jealous. After all, he'd been secretly crushing on his childhood friend for years.

The two of them were sitting across from each other at a table in a pita place (called _The Leaf_ , one of their favorite places to eat lunch). Around them customers bustled by, the store surprisingly crowded for a Monday afternoon. He looked up as Sakura finished her lengthy description of the "dreamy guy" and grinned in response.

"Who knows, maybe you'll have a chance this time," he joked, tilting his head slightly and taking another bite of his pita. "Meeting someone at a cafe can only be fate, according to your mushy romance novels."

Sakura rolled her eyes, ignoring the obvious jab at her choice in literature, and put down the milkshake she had been drinking. "I only said I liked his face, idiot. He probably wouldn't look twice at me." She sighed, a bit miffed at her own comment. "It's not my fault that I have an eye for pretty things. I wish I had taken a picture of him or something, because I know you'll agree with me. Won't you?" She teased, arching an eyebrow playfully. Naruto groaned. She hadn't stopped badgering him about his sexuality ever since he turned down dating offers from girls in college. What she didn't know was that he did so because he was in love with someone else.

"I'm not gay, Sakura," he muttered, face turning red as he hoped no one around would hear their conversation. He ducked his head a bit in embarrassment. "Just because I decided not to date Ino doesn't mean anything!" She simply stared in retaliation, sucking a bit more milkshake from the straw before leaning in.

"You deciding that means _everything_ , Naruto. Ino is _hot_. I would know. Plus, I know you liked her personality. There's no other explanation," she concluded. "I only broke up with her because she wanted to be with you. You also turned down Amaru, who's pretty cute, too." She looked thoughtful for a moment before lighting up in realization. "Or maybe you're asexual? Have you thought of that?"

Naruto shook his head, deciding against telling her that he never found Ino to be that attractive, especially compared to Sakura. Calling her beloved ex and friend anything less than perfect wouldn't sit well with her, and it would only convince her of his apparently questionable sexuality. "Definitely not," he replied, giving her an incredulous look. "And Amaru wasn't my type anyway."

She sighed for the second time that day and rested her head on her hand. "So what exactly _is_ your type, then?"

 _You,_ he wanted to say, but he glanced away instead. He could feel heat pooling at his cheeks and he knew immediately that he was blushing. Trying to save face, he turned to her and grinned familiarly. "Big breasts!" he lied, gesturing to his own chest in emphasis, "And an intelligent brain." He smirked mischievously. "So basically the opposite of you." He laughed as she bristled and slugged his arm, annoyed but not offended.

"I wouldn't be going to medical school if I wasn't smart," she retorted, not bothering to defend against the breasts comment. They both knew it was the truth. The two bickered as they cleaned up the wrappers and cups before turning to leave the restaurant.

Sakura pulled open the glass door, gesturing outside with her free hand at Naruto. "Ladies first," she said with a mock politeness. He snorted in amusement and walked outside, not exactly looking ahead. He had one foot out of the doorway before he bumped into someone short. The person let out a muted squeak as they collided quite harshly, and he was surprised as well as impressed that she didn't fall over.

"Whoa, sorry!" The blond apologized, and got a better look at the girl he ran into. She was pretty, with long, dark hair and pale eyes. She wore a sleeveless lavender turtleneck that exposed her arms, which had intricate tattoos curling around them. The tattoos almost didn't match her shy, fragile-looking exterior.

 _Sakura's still prettier, though._

The girl didn't respond, only stared, which he found strange. Sakura peeked her head over his shoulder before weaving around him to face her.

"Are you alright?" she began, taking in the other girl's appearance. Only then did the dark-haired girl look away from Naruto, meeting Sakura's gaze and blushing.

"I-I'm fine," she stumbled out, tucking her hair behind her ear self-consciously. "It... it was my fault anyway."

The pink haired girl shook her head in reassurance, grabbing Naruto by the shoulder. "Nah, it was this goof's fault. Mine too, for distracting him." She blinked, staring at the twin lions tattooed onto her arms in various hues of blue. "Those look amazing."

The pale girl turned even redder at the compliment, inhaling sharply. "T-thank you!" she replied a bit too loudly. Sakura placed a hand on her hip and tipped her head while Naruto was bumped into from behind by an impatient man about to leave.

"Guys," he tried to cut in, noticing how the three of them were blocking the exit. "Hey-"

"I was thinking about maybe getting tattoos done," she continued, oblivious to the disturbance behind her. "Where'd you get yours?" This caused the shorter girl to tuck hair behind her other ear, fidgeting.

"Guys, um-"

"I... I did them myself," she mumbled, wringing her hands subtly. "I'm a tattoo artist." Sakura's mouth formed an "O" in surprise.

"Really?" she exclaimed, leaning forward a bit. "That's incredible! Where do you work?"

The other girl giggled at her excitement, relaxing slightly. "A place called Eighth Trigram Ink. It's near the old hotel."

Sakura made a thoughtful noise as she made a mental note. "And who should I ask for?" she asked, smiling politely.

"H-Hinata Hyuuga."

" _Hey_!" an irritated voice sounded from inside the diner. "Hurry the hell up!" Naruto cringed, releasing a plethora of apologies as he shoved Sakura out of the way. She didn't seem to notice as she kept her eyes trained on Hinata.

"Thanks! I'll be sure to stop by sometime," she promised, waving goodbye as the blond dragged her away down the sidewalk. "What?" she quipped at him when she noticed him glaring at her. He sighed, letting go of her shoulder.

"Nothing," he grumbled, and the two walked down the street at a languid pace. After a full minute of silence, he whipped his head to the side to face her. "Since when did you want tattoos?" he said, exasperated. _This girl can fall in love with anyone at first sight... except me,_ he growled in his head sullenly.

"For a while now," she replied, rolling her eyes at him. "And don't be like that. She was cute."

"I thought she was kind of weird," he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets. Sakura made a noise of protest beside him.

"Wha- no she wasn't!" she shook her head in disbelief. "See? This is what I'm talking about. You're not into girls at all!"

"I'm into a girl!" he claimed, turning his head to her indignantly.

She scoffed, crossing her arms. "Yeah, right. Who?"

He opened his mouth to snap at her, then closed it, ears turning red. He couldn't say it. "I'm not going to tell you, Sakura."

Under his breath, he cursed his luck.

* * *

After walking Sakura back to her campus, they parted ways and he headed down to his workplace. Or rather, one of his many workplaces.

When he arrived, the car repair shop was chaotic. Bottles were strewn about everywhere, some of them broken, and their small TV was blaring, set to the local Konoha City News. It looked like his boss, Jiraiya, was out at the moment because his three coworkers had thrashed the place. The smell of alcohol weighed heavily in the air and Lee, a crazy green-clad coworker, was bouncing off of the walls.

"Yo, Naruto!" A clearly drunk ponytailed boy slurred, leaning heavily on a truck. "Wha's up?"

The blond boy chuckled nervously, waving lightly. "Hey, Shikamaru. Where's Jiraiya?"

"Jiraiya's out of town for a while," a chubby man answered, preferring the bag of chips in his hand over the bottles on the table beside him. "And he left Tsunade in charge."

 _That explains a lot,_ Naruto reckoned, picking up a bottle to inspect it. "What's he doing?" he asked absentmindedly while studying the label with fleeting curiosity. _Beer_. Not exactly up his alley, but he could drink a bit.

Chouji, the man still eating from the bag of potato chips, shrugged noncommittally. "Who knows; he never tells us about these things. But at least he turns a blind eye to our parties to make up for it." Naruto looked up from the bottle he was holding and snorted in amusement.

"We can hardly call this a 'party'," he responded, deciding against drinking for the night. He had a shift at a diner in a few hours. "And who's taking care of the cars today? Aren't we in business?"

Shikamaru flopped onto the hood of the truck lazily, spilling a bit of the beer in his hand. "It's been slow today," he tried his best to explain, eyes falling closed. He waved his arm in dismissal. "And we already fixed up the cars here."

Peering around, Naruto saw that he was right; other than the clear mess, their customer's cars were looking better than ever. He nodded appreciatively, placing his hands on his hips. "Cool," he stated, impressed, before glancing down at his watch. Four hours until his shift. He could either kill some time with his coworkers or get the next job done early.

His thoughts were interrupted as the already loud television flooded the room with the sound of sirens. Three heads snapped up to the screen in time to see a masked man in a black hoodie shoot down a few more officers before racing down an alley. The camera shook as the reporter ran with the rest of the police force after him, rambling all the way.

"A-an unidentified Akatsuki member has been discovered in Northeast Konoha!" the voice said breathlessly, huffing to keep up. The fugitive didn't glance back once as bullets were fired at him, all missing their target. He was steadily getting away, disappearing into the night. "Three victims were shot dead, and one is currently missing. All four had been working with the police before the attack. We still don't know how they obtained such information, but it is very likely that..."

Naruto tuned out the sounds of running and gunshots, trying to focus on something else. Shikamaru must have noticed because he motioned for Lee to switch off the television before turning concerned (and drunk) eyes to the blond.

"You're almost there, Naruto," he mumbled in consolation. "Just a month and a half, yeah? You've survived for a year like this, so that's nothin'." He awkwardly patted his shoulder to cheer him up. "Then you can leave us to do your fancy detective work."

The blue-eyed boy laughed bitterly. "Yeah," he sighed, "but that's only if the residence is still available _and_ if they accept me into their department." He groaned in exhaustion, rubbing his face. "That old man had better not sell it to anyone else. God knows how much work I've done to get it."

Chouji swallowed a mouthful of barbecue chips before chiming in thoughtfully. "Sarutobi knew your dad really well though; he wouldn't sell it to anyone but you." Hopping up on the hood of the truck next to Shikamaru, he stared at Naruto incredulously. "The real question is if you'll survive or not, though. The Akatsuki and the other gangs aren't exactly going easy on the police, and if they somehow find out about your dad, you'll be a target for sure." Shikamaru grunted his agreement, already almost half-asleep, and the blond haired boy bristled a bit at the remark.

"Of course I'll _survive_ ," he repeated mockingly, crossing his arms and leaning down to sit on a chair. "And I'm willing to take risks if I can help finish what my dad started. I didn't heal from these-" he gestured to the scars on his cheeks, "-for nothing. Besides, I've always known that I wanted to do the same job my dad did." _Some vengeance would also be satisfying,_ he thought to himself bitterly. Shikamaru grunted again, not even bothering to sit up as he lit a cigarette and took a drag.

Puffing out a lungful of smoke, he closed his eyes, seemingly thinking to himself. "Is there any way to hide your relation to Minato, d'you think?" Opening his eyes to slits, he brought the cigarette to his mouth again but kept it hovered millimeters above his lips. "I mean, you've already changed your last name but someone's bound to notice the resemblance. Not to mention the fact that you're buying back his old place." He let out a tired groan and flung an arm over his eyes, the cigarette forgotten. "So troublesome. Can't you jus' rent an apartment?" Chouji was silent and stopped eating, sneaking a glance at Naruto's conflicted expression.

"Shika-" he began, but the blond cut him off impatiently.

"I have to live there," he insisted, shifting to straddle the chair backwards and resting his arms on the backrest. He couldn't make eye contact with either of them. He knew it was stupid of him to buy the place, because it would instantly connect him to the deceased detective Minato Namikaze - his father. It was downright idiotic of him to paint a target on his back like that, but deep inside he knew that something in that building would be important in his life _and_ in the pursuit of the Akatsuki. That feeling was the only thing keeping him going as he worked countless of jobs to scrounge up enough money to buy the old residence. That, and the fact that he'd be able to finally join the police force as a detective and fight the gangs in the crime-ridden streets of Konoha. Trying to distract himself from his thoughts, he shook his head and grinned brightly, scooting forward in his chair towards the truck. "Besides, you know me. Not even a gang of criminals can bring me down."

Chouji laughed and resumed munching on his snack while the lazier of the two snorted. _That was a good way to end the conversation._ He decided that it would be good timing to leave for his next shift now. Glancing at his watch in mock surprise, he stood up from the chair. "Whoa, I should go now guys," he remarked, although he knew Shikamaru probably saw right through his ruse. Smiling and lifting his hand in a casual wave, he headed toward the door. "Keep Lee out of trouble, alright?" The said man turned around in a drunken haze and waved frantically as Naruto exited Sannin Auto Repairs. He laughed quietly and headed down the street to his next job, still mulling over his father. Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans, he stared ahead, too absorbed in his thoughts to be polite to passerby around him.

He was afraid of the Akatsuki. He knew firsthand what they were capable of, but they didn't usually kill people unless they stood in their way or if the murder was profitable. Joining the police force - as a detective, no less - was sure to draw attention. Not that blond officers were uncommon, but if one of the gang members was to notice his scars, the higher-ups would surely remember. Identifying him would be easy. He'd have to stay on his toes at all times.

He was tough, though. He had had his fair share of fights in high school, and it was uncommon for him to lose when brawling one-on-one. _I'm sure I can handle myself_ , he reassured, fists clenching in anticipation for the future. He'd get to fulfill his lifelong dream soon. Just a few more weeks of labor.

A few more weeks before he'd take down the Akatsuki.

* * *

 **Please review! :0**

 **More action will start in two or three chapters!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, so much awesome feedback already! :0 You guys are great!**

 **Also, a brief PSA: The reason I tagged this fic with Sakura and Hinata is because they're major characters, and because they're the second biggest ship. That's just for that one SasuSaku fan that decided to point that out for me. I am not crosstagging. Kapeche?**

 **Oh, and one other thing. I'd love to hear your feedback of what direction this fic should take. Please tell me if you have the time!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. That's why it's a fanfic.**

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Chapter Two

Minutes of terse walking later, Naruto arrived at the diner - simply titled _Manda_ on a wooden, snake-shaped sign - and shuddered. The place (painted an unappealing shade of white) always seemed a bit shady, as if there were underhanded things going on behind the scenes. He wouldn't be surprised. Even its owner, a slimy man named Orochimaru, gave him the creeps. It couldn't be helped, however; he got paid extra there because of the owner's relation to his godfather, Jiraiya. Jiraiya had hooked him up with both his mechanic job and this one, and if it weren't for that blatant favoritism he'd still be a year short of buying Minato's house. A little extra went a long way.

That didn't stop Orochimaru from being a creep, though. As much as Jiraiya was perverted, that man was sly. There was always this strange intent and aura about him that unnerved Naruto. Taking a deep breath, he stepped through the rustic-looking wooden doors and walked briskly to the back where the kitchen was, making an effort not to stare at the customers, who always seemed a bit... off. The pale, dimly lit walls flew by as he hurried through the kitchen doors and nearly ran into a surprised white-haired man holding a tray of iced water.

"Oh, hey Suigetsu," the blond greeted, slightly out of breath. Suigetsu grinned with pointed teeth and gestured toward the counter behind him.

"Your uniform's there," he pointed out, expertly balancing the tray on one hand as he cracked open the door. As Naruto turned to thank him, he interrupted. "You can say your thanks to Karin," he informed before disappearing out into the sea of wooden tables. Gratefully, the blond nodded at his retreating form and picked up said uniform, a plain lavender polo and black dress pants. Walking to the staff bathroom, he hoped desperately that it wasn't in use. He'd heard rumors among his coworkers that Orochimaru would take any chance to molest his underlings, and he'd rather not take his chances. Besides, he had seen for himself the boss watching some of the customers.

Naruto knocked on the door and listened for an answer. Hearing none, he tried the door handle, pleased to find it open. Slipping inside, he quickly changed into the uniform, tucking the shirt into his pants and not bothering to button up the top. Picking up his casual clothes, he exited the bathroom and tossed them into one of the cubbies offered to the workers. Satisfied, the blue-eyed man made his way to the stove, where a red-haired Karin Uzumaki stood grilling what appeared to be burgers.

"Karin!" he called when he was a few paces away. He watched as her hand stilled on the handle of a skillet and turned. "Thanks for pulling my uniform out for me," he told her, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. She made a face before laughing.

"No problem," she replied, turning back to her work to slip another burger. Like Naruto, she had received this job through Jiraiya. She was his cousin as well as his friend. "One of your work friends messaged me that you'd show up early." He assumed that the "friend" was Shikamaru or Chouji. "Oh, and you have to go to Orochimaru's office for some reason. I hope you're not in trouble or anything."

"Oh." Naruto's heart dropped to his stomach in disappointment. So much for not running into him for the day. Repeating his thanks, he left her to her grilling and walked down a short hallway in the direction of the aforementioned office, sighing all the way. The pictures framed on either side of the hall were watercolor paintings of various different colored snakes. He would have found them to be unique and beautiful if they hadn't belonged to his boss.

He knocked on the door, which was the same worn and ancient-looking wood used throughout the restaurant. Immediately there was a response as the door was jerked open to reveal the tall, pale man with long hair. He was grinning madly, looking excited about something.

"There you are!" he nearly hissed, pushing him forward back down the hall. "Come with me; I've got a job you!" Naruto struggled to keep up with his longer, faster strides and tried not to question the fact that he was wearing something too close to a dress.

"What kind of job-" the blond tried, but was cut off as the older man came to a halt outside the doors leading to the serving area. The owner opened one of the doors slightly and placed his hand on the worker's back in order to guide him to peer outside. Naruto did so cautiously, wondering what the man was planning. He bristled and slapped away the hand as it trailed a little bit too close to his rear.

Ignoring the action, Orochimaru leaned in to speak quietly near his ear, causing him to shudder and the hairs on his arm to stand on end. "Look at table seven," he directed, and the blond followed, still wary. Sitting at the table was a pale man with obsidian hair, reading over a menu. His dark eyes were hardened with a look Naruto was unable to decipher.

"What about it?" he whispered, not turning to face his boss for fear of their proximity. He couldn't understand what the man could possibly want with the stranger. He felt the body next to him draw away a few inches, and he breathed a small sigh of relief.

"He's a very special customer," the dark haired man explained, resting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "We need to keep him here at all costs. What I need _you_ to do-" he punctuated the sentence by squeezing his arm, "-is make sure he does just that. Make small talk, even. And every day, once he leaves, tell me exactly what he said to you. Don't leave anything out, because I have ways of knowing. If you do this right, you can expect a raise very soon."

 _A raise_. Naruto felt his fingers tingle in excitement. Perhaps his father's house wasn't so far away after all. Mustering up his courage, he shifted his gaze to his boss as if to ask if he should leave right then. He nodded, and the blond man grabbed a note and pen before heading off to the assigned table.

The situation _was_ very strange to him, but he wasn't complaining. How much would the customer tell him, anyway? What was Orochimaru expecting? He didn't want to infringe on people's privacy, but if was going to be paid more, he was on board. _You corrupt detective_ , he muttered to himself. It would be alright though. If the man said anything too private, he'd just stop feeding the information. Until then...

He grinned to himself as he approached the table. Up close, the man was stunning. His dark locks framed his face and were set in loose spikes down the back of his head, and his face was so angular he appeared to be chiseled out of marble. Naruto felt more than a little envious. _I bet Sakura would date me if I looked like this guy._

"Hello, and welcome to Manda Diner!" he cheerfully greeted as usual, snapping himself out of his silent reverie. He could actually feel the stare of Orochimaru on his back, probably eager to see how he'd interact with the customer. "What would you like, sir?"

The man glared back up at him, hands folding together to rest against his lower face. He looked Naruto up and down before scoffing and picking up the menu again. Not even bothering to make eye contact, he spoke. "This is the best Orochimaru has to offer?" he sneered, eyes flickering to him briefly. "Pathetic."

The waiter's eyes widened in shock. _The hell?! What crawled up this guy's ass?_

Attempting to keep the smile on his face, he went on with his obligated waiter-speech. "My name is Naruto and I'll be your waiter tonight. If you need me, just ask one of the other servers. How can I help you, Mister...?" He trailed off deliberately, indirectly asking for the man's name.

The dark haired man's eyes narrowed in disdain. "Uchiha," he spat. "Now tell me what's so great about you, that your boss sent you here."

Confused, Naruto lowered the pad he was prepared to write Ooh-chee-ha's order on. "I was sent here because I'm here to take your order," he replied smoothly, hoping the man didn't know about Orochimaru's request. "What's so great about you, that you act like you own the place?" he snapped. _Shit,_ he thought immediately. Talking back to customers was a crime not taken lightly.

Uchiha raised an eyebrow, obviously not expecting such a response. "So you have no idea about why he sent you here," he stated in place of a question. At Naruto's hesitant nod, he tapped his fingers against the table as if in thought. "Hn."

Clearing his throat to get his attention, the blond's patience was wearing thin. "Look, buddy, are you going to order or not?" he snapped, propping a hand against his hip. "You got a girlfriend or something that can translate your grunts for me?"

He was answered with a deadly look, and the waiter fought the urge to laugh out loud.

"Wait, you don't have one? That's rich!" he commented, amusement apparent in the way his smirk twitched. _Even_ I _could get a girlfriend if I tried_ , he mocked in his head, ignoring the fact that he'd never get the girl he _really_ wanted. The Uchiha growled and put the menu down roughly, gazing up at him with scrutinizing dark eyes.

"Why would I want an annoyance like that in my life?" he retorted, shifting in his seat to face the blond better. _The fuck does that mean?_ Naruto thought, thrown off. Studying the other's admittedly pretty face, he decided that it couldn't hurt to ask.

"You gay or something?" he ventured, leaning down slightly and placing his hands on the table so he could talk a bit quieter. He didn't want to create a scene. The silent glower was answer enough, and he tilted his head. "Huh. Alright then." Already feeling as if he'd overstepped his boundaries, he straightened and picked up his notebook again. "Now can I interest you in anything?"

Seeing the customer's raised eyebrow and smirk, the waiter blushed as he reinterpreted his words. "Not like that," he blurted, averting his eyes in embarrassment. "I don't, uh, swing that way." The Uchiha's haughty smirk widened as if he had discovered the man's weakness.

"You sure?" he questioned, an unspoken laugh lingering in his voice.

The blond chuckled to hide his discomfort. "Very," he insisted awkwardly.

"Hn," the man made a noise that Naruto interpreted as disbelief. "I bet I could change that," he remarked off-handedly. Naruto froze in shock.

"Excuse me?" he nearly squeaked, somewhat angrily.

"You heard me," the dark-haired man replied, the dim lights catching in his eyes as he tilted his head. "And I don't repeat myself, dumbass."

At this point, Naruto didn't care that he was a customer. "Bastard," he growled back, dropping the notebook on the table and crossing his arms over his chest threateningly. "Now will you order or should I make my boss kick you out?"

He narrowed his eyes, offended, before snorting coldly. "He won't," he replied confidently. "And you can get me a coffee while you try to convince him."

 _What a goddamn prick,_ he fumed, snatching his pad and pencil before turning away without a word. _That's the last time I do any favors for Orochimaru!_

"Orochimaru!" he yelled when he burst through the kitchen doors, attracting every staff member's attention. Karin looked apologetic, and he assumed that she knew what went down. The boss looked eager to listen to any information obtained, walking toward him quickly. The blond pointed in the direction of table seven in anger, stepping forward. "I can't deal with that dickhead!" he protested, ignoring all of the curious glances directed at him. "He's impossible!"

"Now, now," the taller man chastised, guiding him away from the other workers through a hand between his shoulder blades. "What did he tell you, dear?"

Naruto shook away the hand pushing him forward and growled. "His name is Uchiha, he's gay, and he's a massive douchebag." Glaring, he crossed his arms. "Does it matter?"

His boss looked a bit disappointed, but intrigued nonetheless. "Of course it matters," he hissed, looming over the shorter male. "And how did you find out his orientation? Did he flirt with you?" That revelation must have excited him because he grinned.

"Yes, and he was just plain irritating!" the blond claimed, clenching his fists and missing the calculating look that flickered across Orochimaru's face. "I can't do something like this; I don't have the patience for it! Send someone else!"

The taller man lifted a hand to his chin in thought. "On the contrary," he purred, examining Naruto through snake-like eyes, "this has just proven that you're _perfect_ for this job." Chuckling, he pushed the boy back in the direction of the waiting area. "Now get back out there with some coffee or something. Otherwise, you can say goodbye to that bonus I offered."

"Wha-" he protested, indignant, but the threat had registered and he quieted. _I can't believe this bullshit._ He arrived back in the kitchen only to have Karin press a tray with a cup of coffee into his hands. Miffed, the waiter trudged back to the table where the bastard sat, smirking when he spotted him approaching. Figuring that manners didn't matter anymore, Naruto set the tray down harshly, some coffee spilling from the mug.

"Here's your coffee, _Your Highness_ ," he spat sarcastically, watching as the Uchiha's dark eyes glared at the mess on the table. He _tsk_ ed, then shifted his glare to the waiter, who snorted in response. "What?" he asked in mock innocence.

If he got to mess with the stuck-up bastard, this job might not be so bad after all.

* * *

"Hello?" Sakura called as she opened the door to Eighth Trigram Ink. A small bell rang as she stepped inside, a pretty chime that alerted the staff to her presence. The walls were painted a dark purple with designs spray-painted in white, and the violet LED lights gave the place a nightclub feel. The small receptionist at the front desk, which was also painted a violet color, looked up and noticed the girl standing near the door.

The thin figure had shoulder-length turquoise hair, and Sakura wasn't sure whether they were a male or a female. _It doesn't matter anyway_ , she thought to herself, and walked up to the desk. "Hey there!" they greeted happily, and she couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm.

"Hi," the pink-haired girl responded, one hand reaching up to tug at her hair nervously. "I'm here to see Hinata Hyuuga?"

The receptionist grinned mischievously. "Here to see _her_ or here to _see_ her?" As Sakura blushed faintly, they laughed. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. My name is Fuu. Hold on, I'll go get her."

They disappeared into the dark of the room and seconds later, one shy-looking Hinata took her place.

"H-hi," she stuttered, tucking her dark hair behind her ear. Sakura smiled politely.

"Remember me?"

* * *

 **Reviews are appreciated! :D**


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